Chapter 14

I lost track of how long I stood in the gardens. My mind was still trying to process all the memories of Sir Rokai and his battles. His fight with Valafar was something that burned itself into my head and I would never be able to forget it. And as if things couldn’t be more unpredictable, I was still trying to come to terms with Faust’s prediction before she disappeared and what Celestia and Luna had just told me. That I was to be the new guardian of Equestria.

“This is a mistake…” I managed to finally say and began pacing back and forth. “This has to be some kind of miscommunication or misunderstanding or something! Why, of all people, why me? More so, how could it be me?”

“How could it not be you?” The calm, gentle voice of princess Luna spoke up as she approached me from behind.

I looked behind me to see Celestia and Luna still standing by the statue of Rokai.

“I’ll tell you!” I said in a panic and pointed at the statue. “I just bore witness to that man, that incredible, courageous, and honorable man and all he’d done for this kingdom! No, more than that, this whole freaking world! He fought hordes of shadow monsters, dueled some of the most vicious-looking demons I’ve ever seen, and he gave his life in order to defeat that monster, Valafar! Me?! I’m just plain old William Saber who can’t even hold a candle to Rokai Stourmborne!”

“You are more than plain old William,” Celestia reassured with a smile.

“But I am!” I protested. “I’m not a knight or a seasoned warrior like Rokai was! What good am I if I can’t even get a proper handle on my own powers?!”

Before I could hear anything, the princesses had to say, I ran off feeling more frustrated than ever. Before all of this, I was just your average guy living an average life and now I was tasked with saving an entire nation.

“This is bullshit…!” I grumbled as I marched out of the gardens. “Why should I have to risk my life for a world that’s not even my real home?!”

I made it back to the throne room and pushed the doors open, startling the guards. I felt like I was cheated out of living a second normal life and was forcefully given a task without my consent. A Guardian? Really? It all sounded like a five-year old playing make believe with his toys. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going as I just kept walking through the castle walls, when I heard someone yelling.

“MOVE YOUR FLANKS, SOLDIERS!” A commanding voice shouted.

I came to the castle courtyard to see the royal guards doing some drills and sparring with each other with the pony in charge shouting instructions and making sure none of them were slacking off.

I recognized the leader from before. Shining Armor, I think his name was? His ear flicked a bit and noticed me watching the other ponies doing drills.

“Oh. Good morning,” he said to me before returning his attention to his men.

“Um, hi, Mr. Armor,” I said respectfully as I walked in the training yard. “Doing some drills, or something?”

“Just call me Shining,” He said before blowing his whistle. “Alright men, break. Get some water and head back to the barracks.”

“SIR!” the soldiers shouted in unison as they sat wherever they could to catch their breath.

“So, how are you enjoying Canterlot?” he asked me with a friendly smile.

“To be honest? Not what I was expecting,” I admitted as I followed him over to a water dispenser. I felt as though keeping the whole guardian thing should be kept under wraps, for the time being. “I guess you could say I’m still not used to being the only human in a magical world of walking, talking ponies.”

“Well, most would agree with you,” Shining said while hinting at a few ponies giving me strange looks. “Our scientists were hoping to study you since you’re the first human to be seen in over a thousand years. Everypony believed humans were nothing but a ponytale He chuckled while filling a small cup for himself.

“Remind me to steer clear of any scientists,” I joked as I took a sip. I noticed a couple pony soldiers sparring and hummed to myself. “Elbows should be up, wider stance for better balance,” I unintentionally thought out loud.

“Ahh, you know combat?” Shining inquired, snapping me out of my daydream.

“Hm? Oh! Well, kinda,” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I had been taught martial arts since I was very young.”

“What kind?” Shining asked.

“Karate, I’m a black belt,” I explained.

“Is that so? Alright.” Shining placed his cup aside and began popping his knuckles. “How’s about a little one on one?”

I blinked in surprise and looked around before pointing at myself.

“You serious?” I asked dumbly.

“Sure. I’m getting bored just standing here anyways. Plus, it’ll be a good display for the rookies,” Shining replied while doing a few stretches. He removed his shirt that made some of the female staff cry out in excitement.

I arched a brow at their reaction but could see why they were gawking at Shining so much. Under all that armor he wore; I couldn’t tell before how fit he was. The guy had as much muscle mass as Mac, which is saying something considering Mac’s arms look like he can crack a cannonball in two.

As Shining did his stretches, I shrugged and decided to take him up on his offer. I took off my jacket and draped it over one of the training dummies. I put my hands together and closed my eyes. I focused my senses and let my body move with the flow of my Ki. I lifted my arms up over my head while arching my back. Then I lowered my arms and lifted my leg all the way up to the point I was doing a standing split. I started to hear the recruits murmur amongst themselves about my flexibility.

“Ten bits says the captain floors him in a second,” one recruit said.

“Fifteen says the new guy gets the first hit,” another said back.

The soldiers began taking bets amongst themselves which I’m pretty sure was against regulations, but Shining didn’t seem to care as he stepped into the sparring ring and rolled his shoulder a few times.

“Ready?” He asked.

I exhaled and lowered my leg back down and entered the ring. I took a step back and widened my stance while bending my knees. I held one hand at my side and the other in front of me.

“Ready,” was all I said with a serious expression.

To my surprise, Shining took a standard MMA stance once he neared the center of the ring, all that was left was for the referee to begin the match and everyone in the area could sense the tension.

“BEGIN!” The ref called out.

Shining shuffled towards me as I kept my eyes focused. He tried taking me out by throwing fake punches, but I didn’t flinch. I noticed him lean on his left leg and he clenched his right fist. Reacting quickly, I raised my arm and blocked a fierce haymaker thrown by Shining. My arm managed to block the attack, and I countered it by weaving my body to the right and struck his chest with a palm strike.

Shining took a step back after getting the wind knocked out of him and rubbed the pain out of his chest with an approving nod.

“Not bad,” he complimented me before dashing his way towards me.

He looked like he was going for a grapple, but he caught me off guard and delivered a flying knee right to my chest, no doubt as payback for the blow I delivered him and tried to finish it with an elbow drop to the head.

I raised both my arms to block his elbow. I then put all my weight on my left leg so I could kick his side, forcing him to back up. I squatted down and backflipped away before jumping back in the air towards Shining and delivering a fierce scissor kick. Shining barely had time to block and was forced backwards and I took a stance again.

Shining narrowed his eyes at me, and we both charged at each other and exchanged blows. His punches were heavy and hard to block, especially his kicks since I had to evade most of them and tried to avoid blocking them. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t return the favor. My punches and kicks were swifter and more precise as I landed three blows for every single blow, he landed on me. During our punch fest, I tried to get some distance from him by stepping backwards and tried to follow up with a spinning back kick. However, Shining seemed to see through my plan and rushed me.

“No you don’t!” He shouted before trapping me in a guillotine grapple and forced me to the ground. There was no mistaking that he was good and was captain of the guards for a reason.

I grunted as his arms tightened around my neck. I tried to pull away, but that only made his arm crush my windpipe even more.

“Give up, kid! You had a good run!” Shining said.

Those words seemed to strike a chord in me. I had been in many fights before at tournaments, other times in self-defense in public. One thing Ivan knew me for as his student was that I was prone to be stubborn.

Instead of pulling away, I grabbed his arms and began pulling upwards. I grit my teeth hard as I focus my Ki on my legs. I couldn’t really see, due to him holding my head down, but I could definitely feel myself slowly rising upwards. I put all my strength in my arms and legs as I managed to pick the large stallion up and hold him in the air. My arm and leg muscles bulged through my clothes and a white aura of Ki appeared around me.

“Oh crap!” Shining yelped and braced himself as I threw him across the ring, and I was immediately declared the winner for fear of the captain suffering further injuries.

I wheezed and tried to catch my breath. Sweat trickled down the side of my head as I noticed everyone was staring at me. Even Shining looked at me like he had just witnessed a strange phenomenon while sitting on the ground. I approached Shining and offered my hand to him.

“You okay? Did I throw you too hard?” I asked.

“I’ll live.” Shining grunted as I helped him up. “But man, you got a grip. Almost crushed my arms,” he said while showing me the hand shaped bruises on his arms. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

“My teacher, back home,” I explained. “He was sort of a jack-of-all-trades when it came to combat. That was a good spar.”

“Let’s go again some time,” Shining smirked while giving me a friendly jab and redressed himself. “Alright troops, get back to work!” The captain shouted before blowing the whistle.

“How long have you been captain of the guard?” I asked as the troops began a set of push-ups.

“Ever since I graduated from the academy, and ever since I was a colt, I always dreamed of joining the royal guard. And man, was I excited. Especially when I was made captain, my little sister also.” Shining smiled fondly while looking at his reflection in a guard’s helmet.

“Who was captain before you?” I wondered.

Shining pointed over at a plaque on the wall that had a picture of another unicorn stallion. He had a scar over his eye and was saluting. The name under the plaque was the name Iron Spirit.

“Iron Spirit. That stallion was tough as nails and would not tolerate even the smallest infractions. I remember this one time, I failed to polish my helmet properly and he made me polish every last one in the barracks,” Shining said as his tone changed to one of despair. “It was a living nightmare…but the guy was pretty alright if you didn’t get on his bad side.”

I thought about Shining’s experience with wanting to become captain of the royal guard and about my own predicament.

“Can I ask you something a bit personal?” I asked.

“Shoot,” Shining said.

“Did you feel qualified when you finally got the job? Like, did you have any idea how to properly fill the role of being in charge of protecting the princesses?” I asked.

“Hmm, now that is a good question,” he answered while scratching his chin. “Well, truth be told, I didn’t feel qualified at first. At one point, I passed out from overexertion while on guard duty and it gave my family quite the scare. I even ended up in the hospital.” He smiled as I listened. “But while in bed, I got the biggest surprise from Princess Celestia. She had come to visit me herself to apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?” I wondered.

“She said she figured it would be hard for a young stallion like me to act as a proper captain, but I was touched by her words and said that I wouldn’t let it happen again. Wanna know what happened next?” Shining asked me.

I leaned in a little and listened closely.

“She laughed!” Shining said as he began laughing himself. “I was so confused when she began laughing and said that I reminded her of my little sister!” He continued to laugh for a few moments before calming down. “She said she admired how determined I was to fulfill my role but told me not to be so anxious and do my best and since then I’ve been a pretty good captain.”

His response was so unexpected that I stared at him for several minutes to see if he was joking, but he was dead serious.

“So, what did you do after that?” I asked.

“Well, I just acted the way I normally did but I also made sure none of the guards under my command were slacking off,” Shining said before blowing the whistle on one of the trainees. “MOVE IT ROOKIE! Ain’t no room for deadweights around here!”

“Y-YES SIR!” The recruit yelped and jogged faster.

His words stuck with me and the anxiety I was feeling from earlier had dwindled away. He had been given a job that sounded like he had to put everything on the line for, yet Celestia told him not to overthink it too much. It made me think of the position I was meant to fill. I was still admittedly scared and felt unqualified, but maybe I’m also overthinking it?

“I guess sometimes you just gotta take a chance and believe things will turn out for the better,” I said.

“Exactly, but if you still feel unsure, feel free to come by for advice,” Shining said with a friendly slap to my back before telling his troops to take a break.

“Thanks, I really needed this.” I grabbed my jacked off the practice dummy and focused my power. I rose into the air, surprising Shining since he hadn’t seen me fly before.

“Ahem, I think I’m owed a few bits?” Said one of the guards who took bets.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in,” the other grumbled as he dropped a small coin pouch into his hand.

“How are you flying?!” Shining asked.

“I’ll catch you later, Shining, thanks again for the talk,” I said as I gave him a two-fingered salute and flew away.

Later That Evening

I sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking the castle and city of Canterlot. I couldn’t bother to go back to the princesses after my little outburst, so I kept my distance for the rest of the day. The sun was about to set, and I was just enjoying the view.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” A voice startled me and nearly made me fall off the cliff when I turned to see Princess Luna floating down from the sky as the sun was about to set completely. “I come here every night, to watch the sunset. It’s my favorite time of day.”

“Oh, hello, Princess,” I said politely and stood up and bowed to her. “I didn’t expect to see you here.

“Neither did I, and you’re just in time to watch me perform my royal duties,” Luna said, confusing me.

Her horn began to glow as she raised her arms and before I knew it, I was seeing the sunset sky being transformed into a starry night followed by the light of a full moon. To say it was like walking into a dream would be an understatement as the princess lowered her arms after completing her task.

“It is wonderful, is it not?” She asked while admiring her own work.

“Woah…” I said as I looked at the starry sky. “Wait, you can lower the sun and rise the moon?!”

“Not exactly,” Luna giggled at my reaction. “I govern the night and lower and rise the moon. It is my sister who governs the day and lowers and rises the sun.”

“For the sake of my sanity, I’m gonna pretend that makes sense,” I said with a sigh. “All this magic stuff gives me a headache whenever I try to think about how it works.”

“It is difficult for someone who is new to magic. According to what Sir Rokai once told me when I was a filly, I understand that in your world, your planet revolves around the sun itself.” Luna shared a bit of knowledge she had about the world I came from while conjuring a bench for us to sit.

“Yeah, it does,” I nodded as I sat next to her. “But there isn’t anyone who can lower and rise the sun and moon. As for the moon, it revolves around our earth in its own orbit.”

“How fascinating. A world where magic is non-existent save for the stories in your fairy tales and legends,” She giggled again.

“That’s true,” I said as I leaned back on my hands. “Hey, um…I’m sorry about my outburst earlier.”

“You were frustrated, I understand. Once upon a time, I was like that,” she said, surprising me. “When I was very young, after my mother disappeared and the throne was passed on to my sister and I, I felt envious of Celestia as our subjects played in the day while very few enjoyed the night. Over time, that envy turned to jealousy and then into rage, a rage that would cost me a thousand years of isolation from my one and only sister…” Luna said with sadness in her voice. “To this day, I still regret my actions even though she has forgiven me.”

“I never really got the full story between you and Celestia,” I said curiously. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, I understand, but I’m a good listener when it counts. I should know, since I also have a sister back home.”

“Well…when we were fillies, Celestia always pushed me to be my best even when our lessons seemed difficult but as we grew older, the citizens only had eyes for her and very few would acknowledge me,” Luna sighed.

“But you had just as an important role as she did, right?” I inquired. “Raising the moon sounds just as important as raising the sun.”

“Yes, but in those times, ponies feared the night even before Nightmare Moon,” Luna explained when I spotted a shooting star. “In those times, much of Equestria was still unexplored territory and monsters roamed the lands freely, so ponies felt safe during the day. I was also in charge of ensuring my citizens had pleasant dreams and were free of nightmares, but even then, I felt jealous of my sister.”

“I bet it didn’t help that Starswirl, Sir Rokai, and your mom weren’t there anymore, huh?” I said somberly. “To lose three people whom you care for the most…” Old memories began resurfacing in the back of my mind, but I forced them back into my subconscious.

“Yes. With my mother and Starswirl gone, I didn’t know who to turn to for advice and the loss of Sir Rokai was very tragic. Yet despite all that, my sister wore a smile on her face and basked in the praise of our citizens while I was left in her shadow. Over time my jealousy grew, and it would eventually turn into hate…hate for my own flesh and blood…” Luna said sadly, her ears folded onto her head.

Seeing how sad Luna became, I decided to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You’ve gone through so much, Princess. It may not be as serious, but I can kinda understand where you’re coming from.” I said.

She looked at me curiously before I spoke.

“When I was younger, I wasn’t exactly a good kid. I’d slack off and avoid my responsibilities, even though I was well-liked by many in my town that I moved to. There was a point where I almost didn’t do anything of what I was supposed to do and it almost cost me my future.” Memories of my youth flashed in my mind as my mood darkened.

“By the time I realized what I was doing was not only affecting me, but my own family, I believed it was too late and I began to become severely depressed. I had wasted my life doing frivolous things and not taking the initiative for anything. All because I couldn’t move on from something that happened in my old town before I moved.” I clenched my fists and turned away. “There was a point in my depression when I thought it would’ve been best if…I just wasn’t around anymore, since I felt like such a burden to everyone around me, including my family…”

“So, what did you do?” The princess asked.

“Someone saved me from the darkness, my stepdad,” I said as a smile started to form across my lips.

“My stepdad was the wisest and patient man I’ve ever known. He helped me when all seemed lost and provided me with an opportunity to better myself. It took a long time for me to adjust and to move on from my younger past. It was a tough process, so tough that there were times I would want to give up because of how pointless it sometimes felt. But my stepdad wouldn’t allow it. He kept pushing me and helping me, believing in me when I didn’t really believe in myself,” I said, remembering my stepdad.

“Soon, I was finally able to let go of what I once was and improve my well-being. Ever since I changed, my stepdad always looked at me with pride because he knew I could achieve anything as long as I didn’t give up on my ideals.” I looked up at the moon with my smile still there.

“He sounds like a good man.” Luna smiled with admiration. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“The night Faust saved me and brought me here,” I said. “I’m sure he’s worried sick about me. Him and my mother and stepsister.”

“You all sound very close,” Luna sighed pityingly. “I am truly sorry that you came to this world on such short notice.”

“Can’t do much about it now,” I said with a shrug. “You know,” I said, thinking back to Luna’s experience. “When you said she looks at you full of disappointment, I don’t think you’re the one she’s disappointed in.”

Luna looked at me a little confused at my claim. “What do you mean?” She asks.

“Maybe it’s her herself she’s disappointed in.” I guessed. She went wide eyed as I crossed my arms in deep thought. “Maybe, when you were sent to the moon, she blamed herself for what happened to you. She probably believes she could’ve done a better job with handling the situation back then. But because she underestimated your feelings, you became too emotional and went rouge. She’s most likely been cursing herself all this time for sending her own sister to the moon for a thousand years and is still cursing herself despite your return.”

“But…why? I was the one at fault, not her!” Luna said in disbelief.

I shrug my shoulders. “It’s only a hypothesis. If you want to confirm this, then I suggest you talk to her about it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll both find the closure you didn’t realize you were both missing.” I said to Luna.

For a moment, both of us just sat there in each other’s company until we heard the distant chime of a bell.

“Oh, my goodness, we're late for dinner,” Luna said as we stood up and the bench poofed into dust. “We best return to the castle before my sister worries.”

“I guess we should,” I said and stretched. “Wanna fly there?”

“Fly? But you have no wings. I doubt I can carry you,” Luna said.

I only smirked as I focused my Ki and lifted up into the air. “Don’t worry, I’m covered.”

“Oh, well, this is an unexpected development.” Luna smiled as she joined me in the air. “Shall we be off then?”

I nodded and we both flew back down towards the castle. I followed her through the skies until we arrived at the entrance of the castle. When we both landed, the guards standing at attention saluted to Luna. The princess merely gave them a curt nod as we walked past them and into the building. While making our way to the dining room, I noticed Luna didn’t say much after our talk. She looked like she was deep in thought about something.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked.

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing,” Luna said as we made it to the dining room. Celestia sat at the head of the table and smiled warmly at us.

“Good evening sister!” Celestia said cheerfully as we sat down. “I take it you've sorted things out?” She asked me with a warm tone.

“Somewhat,” I answered as Luna, and I sat down. I sat on Celestia’s left and Luna sat on her right. “May I ask you something, princess?”

“You may,” Celestia nodded.

“Do you honestly believe I’m capable of becoming the next Guardian?” I asked seriously.

“Hmm…I honestly can’t answer that for you, William,” the princess replied while the servants prepared my plate. “That is something you must discover on your own.”

Before I could say anything further, my nose caught the familiar scent of a five-star steak dinner being served up to me as my mouth hung open from the sight.

“This was one of Sir Rokai’s favorites. I hope it’s to your liking,” Celestia said as she tied a napkin around her neck.

“Y-You prepared steak for me?!” I asked as the plate was placed in front of me. “But I thought ponies can’t stand the sight of meat!”

“My sister and I are more tolerant than others,” Luna smiled.

“Well don't be shy, have a bite,” Celestia insisted.

I wiped my mouth from the small dribble of drool from the corner of my lips. I picked up the knife and fork and began cutting the meat. It was tender and juicy, just the way I liked it. When I held the piece up in front of me with my fork, I could smell the seasonings and spices that were sprinkled on it. The aroma of the steak made me salivate as I opened my mouth and took a bite. A flurry of delicious flavors filled my taste buds as I chewed. My whole body shivered with delight, and I savored my meal.

“So good!” I said aloud as I swallowed and went for another piece. “All the compliments I could think of goes to the chef!”

“Glad you like it, Sir William,” Celestia said with a warm smile. “Now, I know you still have much on your mind, but we must discuss your training.”

I swallowed another bite before looking at Celestia curiously.

“But I already know how to fight. I just sparred with Shining Armor earlier today and won,” I said. That last statement made Luna nearly choke on her water.

“I beg your pardon?” The lunar princess said with a slight cough.

“We sparred in the courtyard today, the guards were even taking bets,” I said casually while the royal sisters gave each other strange looks.

“I trust nothing happened during this little match?” Celestia asked.

“Nah, gulp, it was actually kinda fun,” I said as I ate. “Reminds me of the tournaments I used to participate in.”

“Oh, well, good then, but I really meant training with your magic,” Celestia said. “What you can do now is only a fraction of your true potential.”

“Hate to break it to you, Princess, but what I have isn’t magic,” I said before taking a sip of my drink. “It’s Ki.”

“Ki? Never heard of such a word,” said Luna who took a sip of water.

I placed my fork down and held my hand up. I focused my power and an orb of Ki appeared in my palm.

“This is Ki, you’ll notice that it both looks and feels different than what magic does,” I stated.

“Impressive.” Celestia said while admiring the glowing orb. “But how does it differ from magic exactly?”

“Ki is also known as latent energy or fighting power,” I explained as I made the orb disappear. “This force is a tangible energy inside every living being, with its major focus being on the center of the body. By drawing it out, I am able to manipulate it and use it outside my body. Ki can be used for many different techniques. But because there are physical limits to the strength of my body itself, it is necessary to increase my Ki to overcome this barrier and become stronger.”

“How fascinating,” Luna said after hearing the explanation. “Just as magic requires one’s mental power, your Ki requires your physical strength in order to increase in power.”

“Exactly,” I said with my fork pointing at the princess. “If I could, I would be able to flatten a continent.”

The princesses looked at me warily before I let out a small laugh.

“Pfft! I’m just kidding! I’d never do that,” I reassured them. “Ki also gives me advanced physical abilities as well. The more Ki I’m able to gather and expand for myself, I’m able to gain enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and can increase the power of my attacks. Even my teacher once told me: maintaining proper balance between the body and spirit is important in utilizing energy, and the more properly balanced they are, the more energy I can project.”

“Your teacher sounds very wise,” Celestia said as we finished our dinner.

“He is,” I said as I swallowed my last bite, then looked at them seriously. “Regarding this new…role, I guess I should call it, of mine, I’ll be blunt with you two. I still doubt I’m your guy for the job. It still baffles me that out of all the billions of humans on Earth, Faust, your mom, the queen, picked me.”

“Our mother would not have picked you without good reason,” Luna said, hoping to dispel his doubts.

“Know that you are not alone on this journey. If you need us, we will be here to support you,” Celestia smiled.

I let out a heavy sigh and scratched the back of my head. These women-er, mares were willing to support me no matter what and we hadn’t even known each other for over a day. They meant well, but perhaps they’re a little too trusting of me.

“I can’t promise I’ll be anything like Sir Stourmborne,” I said. “And I doubt I could live up to any expectations you might have for me. But, if you’re so sure that Faust chose me for a good cause, then I can at least try and give this a shot.”

“Thank you, Sir William,” Luna said just as she noticed the clock. “Forgive me but I must tend to the dream realm. Goodnight, sister.”

“Goodnight, Luna,” Celestia smiled while hugging her sister goodnight.

I watched Luna walk away and noticed Celestia staring at her. Her smile may have been genuinely happy, but her eyes were filled with sorrow and regret.

Seems my theory was on the money, I thought to myself.

“I know what happened,” I said out of the blue. “Between you two.” I stood up from my chair and approached Celestia who looked at me with surprise. “Just know, it’s not your fault.”

“…So you say,” Celestia sighed. “I still can’t help but feel I was responsible for what happened to her…I was so arrogant in my youth, so stern and cold-hearted. Even to my own little sister…”

“You both grew up without a parent,” I said as I turned away. “I know what that’s like.”

“Your mother?” Celestia asked as I walked away.

“No…my father,” I said in a subtlety bitter tone and left the dining room.

I headed back to my guest room to turn in for the night, not saying another word to anyone along the way.

Author's Note

Though his doubts may weigh on his self-confidence, he can at least find some comfort that he will not be alone on his journey.

Side Note:
Special shout-out to the wonderfully talented RandomArtXx01 for this gorgeous scene! Check out her other work on her page!

Hope you enjoyed!

WurkyWilk has left the building…